North Dakota Hospital Expands Palliative Care to Include Home Visits
Even hospitals are concerned about the rising costs of inpatient care, as well as the ability of frail patients to transport themselves to health appointments. To better address patient needs, North Dakota-based CHI-St. Alexius Health System is expanding its palliative care program to include outpatient and home-based services.
The hospital’s inpatient palliative care team emerged from its hospice program beginning in 2013, providing symptom management to patients who had not yet received a terminal diagnosis. The program picked up extra steam after the hospital began pursuing participation in the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer program, as well as other certifications such as trauma care, for which palliative care was a benchmark.